


Jack Fell Down and Broke his Crown, and Jill Came Tumbling After

by OfficeShoeBoxedUp



Series: It All Started With a Moobloom [1]
Category: Minecraft (Video Game), Video Blogging RPF
Genre: Angst, Character Death, I was writing and it got sad suddenly, I'm Sorry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-05
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 17:48:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26831662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/OfficeShoeBoxedUp/pseuds/OfficeShoeBoxedUp
Summary: The origins of Tommyinnit and Tubbo, before they came to be deities, before they first met.Where were they, who were they, why were they so intertwined?
Relationships: Eret & Toby Smith | Tubbo, Eret & TommyInnit (Video Blogging RPF), No Romantic Relationship(s), Toby Smith | Tubbo & TommyInnit
Series: It All Started With a Moobloom [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1957165
Comments: 8
Kudos: 169





	1. Jack just wanted some water

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, wow, you guys really liked the first one, thanks a ton for that! 
> 
> Here is a prequel that takes place a long time before the events of Piss Cow, but still give clues to a few events mentioned in that story.

"Tommy, we're going to be late!" Tubbo shouted at him, both parties struggling to pull on their shirts. 

"And who wanted to stop on the way back and watch the bees?" Tommy shoots back, shrugging his way into the sleeves of his white shirt.

"They're really pretty this time of year!" Tubbo argued, his own yellow shirt slipping off of him slightly. 

Both boys sprint from behind the oak cabin to the village centre, hoping they wouldn't be late for the new year ceremony. 

Every year, upon the anniversary of their first village chief dying, the villagers would gather around a fire and sacrifice some of their food and crops to hope that the gods would be pleased and keep their village in good shape. 

Skidding to a stop in the midst of the rest of the similarly clad white shirt boys, Tommy doubles over, wheezing slightly. Behind him, Tubbo falls in line with one of the boys wearing a yellow shirt and fist bumps him. 

Eret shoots him a look from across the plaza, eyes hidden behind his typical shades, but still carrying a sense of disappointment. Tommy shrinks under his gaze for a second, before remembering who he was and throwing back a glare twice as intense. 

The village elder catches their attention before anything else can happen with a solid clap of his hands. "Everyone, it is time for our remembrance and renewal ceremony. Please bring forth the things you wish to be remembered by us and the gods." Within his own robes, the village elder pulls a small doll. Those who are close by remember it as that of a young girl who drowned in the river, without any family. 

He walks forward slowly, taking his time to study the doll. Once the fire is lit, he wraps it gently in strips of kelp and places it upon a charred wooden table, before moving back. 

One by one, a few people split off from the mass, leaving small trinkets, various food items, and in one case, a single piece of flint. Each thing placed was treated with respect, none of the people were judged for their reason. Some stepped forwards, but then hesitated and returned, all comforted by those around them who knew that it was hard giving up a memory of them.

Once every person who needed to place something had, the village elder stepped forward again, grasping the lever that would lower the objects into the fire. "Today is our day of remembering those who were lost, those who were forgotten, and those who have passed on. We burn these things to help us remember that they are still in the world, that they need something wherever they are. As such, we bless each and every one of you, and we praise the gods, that they may give us long life to help all in need. And to Elder Za, son of Wat, may he be our guiding beacon in the year to come." 

With the final speech said, he pushed the lever, causing the table to descend into the flames, the people around bursting into cheer as the sun began to set. The various sections split up and intermingle, each group talking with each other or returning to their homes to sleep.

Tommy seeks out Eret in the crowd, getting his attention with only minimal shouting. Chuckling, Eret makes his way over to him, ruffling his hair once he gets close enough. "Almost late for the meeting this year. You're starting to cut it a little close." 

"Bitch, I would have made it back anyways, Tubbo just got distracted by some dumb bees." Tommy growls at him, pushing him good-naturedly. "Well, at the very least, better hope no one saw you two coming back from the forest." 

Scoffing, Tommy rubs at a slight scar on his arm, which leaks a little blood onto his shirt. Eret notices and rubs the fabric a little, blood staining his fingers. "Ah, I should go wash off, and you should clean up that shirt." 

\--

Roused from a dream about trying to stab Techno in the side for his title, Tommy rubs his eyes sleepily. A second light knock emanates from his door and he sits up, hastily composing his features into one that was alert. 

"Tommy? Are you awake?" Eret's deep voice filtered through the cracks, and he relaxed, before pushing off the bedsheets and padding to the door. Opening the door a tiny bit, he leans his head out, glaring at him. 

"Something you need? Or did you come just to fuck with my beauty sleep."

Eret winces at this, sunglasses slipping a fraction before he pushes them farther up his nose. "Okay, I know that this sounds weird, but I think someone's going to try and break our deal with the iceologers."

Tommy is instantly alert, head whipping back and forth to see if anyone else was around and as heard. "Get in here before you start spilling more secrets!" Tugging him in by his dark blue shirt, he frowns, pacing the cabin. 

"Why would someone want to disrupt our trade? We give them food, they give us knowledge on the winter and we live peacefully!" Eret shrugs, leaning back against the wall. “That’s why I’m not entirely sure on it. I heard someone talking about the deal during the evening.” 

“Okay, so you came to me why?” Tommy asks, carefully unwrapping his hands from the slim bandages. He winds the long strips of fabric back into small rolls that are tucked away into the drawer standing beside his bed. “You’re the only one who’s spent time in the forest outside of trading. You know the land well enough to get us up to the peaks of our mountain. If there is someone going to do this, I’d like to be able stop them as fast as possible.” Eret explains, mouth locked in a tight grimace and eyes strained. 

“And you’re sure that this will happen?” He pushes again, watching Eret look away in frustration. “Like I’ve said, I’d rather be safe than sorry. Will you take me, or not?” 

Tommy sighs, then tilts his head back to look Eret in the eyes. All he can see is pleading in his light blue irises. “Fine. I’ll get you there, nothing more.”

Grabbing his stone sword from under his pillow and tucking a glowing flower into his pockets, he motions for Eret to lead the way. As they leave his house, Tommy stares up into the sky, noticing the moon beginning to set, the sunrise not yet bleeding into the dark colours. Eret leads him to the entrance of the forest, foot tapping slightly impatiently. 

Once Tommy disappears into the tree line, Eret takes one last sweep of the clearing, then follows him in. The moonlight barely lights their past, but it is ample with the snow reflecting the slight light. After a minute of them navigating the forest, a third figure steps into the trees, noticing the footprints. The slight breath they release fogs the cold air, before they break into a sprint. 

Eret hears the footsteps first, shaking Tommy’s arm. “There’s someone coming after us. Go faster!” 

“I’m going as fast as I can!” Tommy snaps back at him, taking the trees in quickly. “This way. The snow will conceal our path if you shake that branch.” They run across a frozen river and stumble over a slight crack in the ground, before emerging in another clearing. He spins, recollecting his surroundings, then points towards a thick cluster of brambles. “That’s the way we need to go. It looks worse than it actually is. Try not to let yourself get caught.”

Shoving Eret through the bushes, Tommy winced at Eret’s sharp retorts and forced his own way through, twisting through the brambles to try and keep them from cutting him again. The figure stopped at the edge of the bush, panting heavily, but not following them through. 

Eret grabbed him and kept pushing him forward. “Are we at least close?”

“This is where we normally stop and do trades, but there’s no one else here.” Tommy muttered, bending over to catch his breath. “I’m going to check the tip then. They could be waiting for the iceologers to wake up.” Eret says, before sprinting up the rocky path leading to the very top of the mountain. 

“Fuck you too, I guess.” Tommy swears, following him at a slower pace.

Once the trees open up and he can take in the view, Tommy stands, stunned at the magnificent sight. The wind doesn't blow all the way up here, and he barely notices the cold anymore, not after years of growing up with it. The sky is just beginning to burn with the orange of the sunrise, the moon slowly shrinking from existence, yet still able to be seen, parallel to the sun. The stone peak gives a clear view of the surrounding forest, trees covered in thick snow that seem to quiver in non-existent wind. 

A bleat sounds to his right and he jumps, drawing the sword. A goat stares back at him, unamused and not frightened. Sheathing his sword, he takes a glance around the peak, not seeing Eret anywhere. "Eret? Where'd you go, bitch?"

"Tommy! Over here!" Eret's voice drifts up from the other side of the peak. "I tripped and fell and accidentally got caught on the side of the mountain, can you help me up?"

Leaning over the edge, he sees Eret clutching the stone wall in a desperate attempt to stay alive, eyes wide with panic. He cackles at him for a moment, then sticks out a hand, letting the other grab his hand. 

Pulling him up wasn't easy. Especially not with the goats side eying him and jumping about. But eventually he got Eret up, and both collapsed in the snow, feeling it melt around them. "Hey Eret, since there's no one here, want to-"

"TOMMY!"

Tommy whipped his head around to see… Eret? sprinting towards him, fear written across his face. And yet, due to the blinding light spilling across the snow, he couldn't make out the emotions in his eyes, the leukocoria too prominent. His eyes…

Backing away hastily from the Eret he pulled him, Tommy scanned his eyes, noticing that despite the light, this Eret's eyes never changed, remaining a light blue. "Tommy? What are you doing?" He, it asks darkly. 

"S..stay away!" He backs up more, stopping at the cliff's edge. 

The first Eret grins at him, deadly, sharp, something that he'd never seen on his face. "Looks like the jig is up. I wish I could say this hadn't been fun, but I do so love messing with you guys. And seriously, who lives in the middle of nowhere on a mountain? What are you, trying to hide from someone?" 

Tommy swallows, throat dry and tensed up in fear. "Who are you?" 

"Me?" It says, watching Eret sprint towards them in a panic filled rush, watching the distance get shorter and shorter to Tommy. "My name is unimportant. But if you really need to know…" 

Eret reaches out for Tommy's shirt, grabs the front top of it right as a goat slams directly into Tommy's chest, toppling him backwards. It rips into a long shred, coated in melting snow and sweat. 

"Schlatt is what my friends like to call me."

Tommy can only watch in slow motion as he falls, each heartbeat like a frame of motion. 

Eret's face is full of despair, of anger, of every emotion possible to express, but worst of all is his hand, still outstretched, reaching for him as he falls. 

Schlatt's is terrifying, searing into his mind like a brand on cattle. The goat tumbles off the cliff with him, flailing its legs in despair, giving terrified bleats, but he pays it no mind, instead watching Tommy fall to his doom. 

He reaches into his pocket and pulls out the shimmering flower, Toby, the one thing he promised to forever keep by his side. The first thing Tubbo ever gifted him. A flower, and his name. 

_I'm sorry I can't be there for you, big man._

_This shouldn't have happened._

_Just don't forget me, yeah?_

_ You won't be forgotten, trust me. _

The last two things he hears are from both parties standing on the mountain.

Eret screams his name in pure agony.

Schlatt offers him an apple.

Then there is pain, then nothing more.

\--

At the bottom of the sheer cliff lies Tommy's body. Surprisingly, it appears unharmed. The only difference between him sleeping and this is the flower he clutches in the palm of his hand. Instead of the vibrant yellow dandelion it once was, it instead is a dark, ugly red, twisting its roots around his hand. His shirt, once white, now was red along his arms and neck, though there was nothing nearby to even create such a shade.

If anyone could see the body, they would notice that it began to disappear into thin air, gradually fading away, leaving only the enchanted flower behind. Many have tried to pick it since that day, but it has never left the ground, never died, never grew anymore of itself, just sitting alone in the snow.

Though, there was one person who found he could pick it up. He cradled that flower and cried in his room, alone, the flower being the last and most important thing Tommy had ever given him. 

The flower was simply named _Thomas_.

\--

Back on the mountain peak, Eret glared fiercely at his evil doppelganger, whose form melts and reshapes into a Caucasian man with mutton chops and curling horns, just like the goats around them. His eyes were slitted yellow, feet like hooves keeping him upright.

"You just murdered my brother," he snarls, standing up, clutching the strip of cloth tightly. "You KILLED HIM!"

Schlatt appeared unbothered by his rage, instead peering over the edge of the cliff. "Haha, yeah right. Like I'd believe two little deities could be "killed" by a little fall."

"Deities? We're mortals, dumbass!" Eret snaps, tying the cloth to his arm. "Why the hell do you think we live in a place like this? If we were immortal, we wouldn't have settled down!"

Schlatt looks over the edge again, then back at Eret. Then over, and back. His expression changes to panic, and he begins to fret. "Oh shit. Shit shit shit." He runs a hand through his hair quickly, glancing around. "No no no no no, he said you guys were immortal! He said it would be a funny joke, he-"

His head darts back up, eyes wild with frenzy. "I didn't mean to do this, I swear! I, I thought he was going to be okay! I've done this thing with friends, we've always been okay, why would he lie?"

Eret's eyes narrow at him, still suspicious, but now less. "He?" 

"One of my friends. I kind of turned him immortal and we do this to each other a lot. He said you guys were like us, that you couldn't be killed!"

"Hey, listen to me. HEY!" Eret grabs him by the shoulders. "Calm down. Deep breaths in and out. It's not going to help if you have a panic attack all of a sudden, alright? I get that you didn't mean to do that, but shouldn't you have checked with us first? Made sure we were immortal before trying to "prank" us?"

Schlatt gulped for air, before nodding frantically. "I...I guess I should have. I wasn't really thinking at the moment, just more about how I wanted to make some more friends."

Eret sighs, before standing back up and turning towards the forest. "Listen, _Schlatt_ , let's keep this between the two of us, alright? I have to tell Tubbo, but other than that, keep quiet. I know that you didn't mean to kill him, but that doesn't mean I trust you. Keep out of our lives unless I ask for you, and don't ever, ever, try and take someone I care for away again. Or else there is nothing in this world that will stop me from making sure you are dead. Understand?"

He nods, reasonably threatened.

Stalking into the forest, Eret tightens the binding of the strip of Tommy's shirt. "Don't worry, Tommy. I'll make sure he pays for what he did to you today."


	2. Jill Missed Her Friend

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two years is a long time to have to wait for the truth.

It's been 2 years since Tommy went missing from the village overnight. 2 long, tiresome years without a friend to Tubbo. 2 years that had dragged out and yet still vanished in an instant while Eret tried to find him. 

And still nothing. 

The gods that watched over them were generous in these two years, giving them bountiful crops and fertile animals to keep their lives in much health. 

Tubbo kept _Thomas_ as close to him as possible at all times. The red dandelion was a freak of nature, yet he could never abandon it. The flower was wild, untamed, free from the restrictions of the ground, reminding him too much of Tommy. But still he kept it, never burning it at the beginning of every year. People understood, it’s not everyday that someone loses someone close to them. They had all lived for so long that they didn’t handle loss as well as a society that lived through loss at any possible moment. 

Eret watched over him like a hawk since the day Tommy had gone missing. Tubbo had started to grow suspicious of him, beginning to think that he either had a hand in him disappearing, or made him disappear. With this growing, he began to distance himself more and more, hiding and waiting until he left before doing anything. Plus, the scrap of fabric he wore when coming back. Clearly a white shirt. Intriguing.

“Tubbo!” He sighed internally, before spinning back to face Eret, who looked distressed. “Yeah?” 

“Couldn’t find you and thought you went missing. Thank the gods I found you or-“

“Cut the crap. I know what happened.” 

Eret’s face paled. “What do you mean, you know?”

“You killed him. At least, you had something to do with it, that’s why you’ve been hovering over me so much. Either a deal was struck for my life or you just MURDERED HIM!” Tubbo ended up shouting, face red. 

Shaking his head, Eret stepped closer, hands up. “I didn’t do anything, I had nothing to do with Tommy’s d..disappearance.”

“Really?” He scoffed, unconsciously wrapping his hand around _Thomas_. His temper skyrocketed, the urge to fight growing. “Then where is he? How did he disappear?” 

Eret looked shocked, defenses lowering in surprise. “I’ve already said hundreds of times that I don’t know what happened to him. All I know is that he wasn’t in his cabin the next morning.” 

“Where’d your little armband come from them? It looks awfully like the fabric of the white shirts, and even matches the neckline of one of them, I checked one night when you were asleep.” 

“I swear, I don’t-“ 

“S _TO_ P _LY_ I _N_ G TO _ME_!” Tubbo roars at him, the entire forest coming alive with his shout. Trees tossed about with the force of a hurricane, several animals even fleeing through the undergrowth at the sudden force. That wasn’t the only change.

Vines sprouted from the ground suddenly and began thrashing about, growing a barrier to separate the two. Flowers bloomed wildly in their clearing, all the same sickly red shade as Thomas, the scent coming forth intoxicating. Eret stifled a gasp at their appearance. Though Tubbo couldn’t see it, the flowers depicted the moments forever seared into his mind; Tommy falling from the cliff side, the goat beside him, him, no, Schlatt, and a hand outstretched. 

“ _When will you stop lying to me! It’s your fault!_ ” Tubbo screamed at him, tears starting to trace down his cheeks. The barrier of vines began splitting into smaller and smaller bits, creating thorns and gnarls of spikes to dissuade Eret from trying to get to him. 

“Tubbo, I didn’t mean to! I couldn’t stop him from falling, I tried!” Eret cries, watching the ground twist and jump about beneath him. “If I had followed him sooner, if I had gotten there quicker, then maybe I could have saved him!” 

Nature begins to calm down a little, instead of aggressing the world, rather slipping through the thick underbrush, combing through the trees. Tubbo’s eyes shifted, becoming more peaceful and less angry. “Eret, I want to know what happened. You were gone long enough for me to figure out you were. Tommy had been missing since the morning report. The only way you couldn’t have seen him is if you were a part of the morning patrol, and Karl said that you weren’t on it that day.”

“He got tricked out there. Out… there.” Eret gestured towards the top of the mountain, the tip covered by thick, fluffy clouds, eyes distant. “Some deity thought that the entirety of our village was deities just hiding out, and therefore thought it would be funny to kick Tommy off the cliff.”

A sniff catches his attention, and he turns back to see tears welling back up in Tubbo’s eyes. “He did die?” He whispered quietly, pulling _Thomas_ from the depths of his pocket. “I thought you just betrayed him to someone else and he’s still alive.” 

He takes a step back, fear written across his face. “What have you been doing for the last two years?” 

Eret looks away, shades playing to his advantage and hiding his eyes. “Things I’m not proud of,” he admits, “but all to find him. And I’m so close to figuring out what happened, but I need that flower.” He points to _Thomas_ , which shimmers almost cheerfully. 

The vines once crawling gently about began to stir again, rising slightly and threatening to drag him under, as Tubbo clutches it tighter to his chest. “You can’t just take it! What if it gets destroyed? Then there will be nothing left to remember him by!” 

Tubbo took more steps back, the undergrowth beginning to thicken between the two of them. “Are you telling the truth? Did he really fall off the cliff top?” 

“Yes.” Eret said, pulling his foot out from under a vine that had trapped it. “A goat rammed him off.”

In the minute of silence that stretched between them, Tubbo shook his head. “I need to see myself,” he quietly mumbled, before turning on his heel and sprinting into the tree line. Instantly, the carpet of thick vines began to settle, draping across any tree or open space that they could. Eret swore under his breath before hurriedly untangling himself from them. 

Sprinting after Tubbo, Eret began to flashback to that night, and on reflex, he shivered. 

_It’s not nighttime, and it’s summer. Stop beating yourself up with what happened. Schlatt planned that to happen, and not much can get in the way of his plans._

Shaking off the memories of that night, he kept moving forward, racing through the trees and following his footsteps. Each tree he ducked under or moved around made more flash through his line of vision, temporarily obscuring his vision of Tubbo, who seemed to vanish every other second. 

Bursting into the second clearing, Eret pauses, head whipping around and chest heaving for breath. “Tubbo? Tubbo, where are you?” The brambles rustled slightly, as if alerting him to the path he had taken. They scratched his arms and dislodged his glasses, causing him to take a second to try and retrieve them but couldn’t reach them beneath the thorns. Growling in frustration, he left them there and kept pushing forward. 

Ahead of him, in the bright light of the sun, Tubbo stood framed, the light wrapping around him and giving him an ethereal appearance. His hands were shaking, and a tear slipped from his face. 

“ _Who are you?_ ” 

In front of him, Schlatt spun around, still in Eret’s form. “Tubbo? What’s up?” 

“ _You’re not Eret,_ ” he said quietly, “ _but you look just like him. Only your eyes are different._ ” 

“Er?” Schlatt called, seeing him emerge from the trees, shirt unusually rumpled and torn from forcing himself through. “Did you tell him?” 

“Only what happened, not who you were. He has the flower on him still, but be careful. Something’s helping him.”

Sighing, Schlatt shifted into his own form, holding out a hand. “Kid, I’m going to need that flower so we’ll be able to track down Tommy. I know you don’t want it damaged, but this won’t hurt it, I swear.”

Tubbo looks down at _Thomas_ , his hand still tightly clutched around it. The flower almost seems to pulse in time with his heartbeat, and the petals are a more vibrant red than before. Opening his fingers, the flower falls into Schlatt’s and he grins, almost sprinting back to the small pot he had cooking over a fire. “Eret, your form or mine?”

Eret grabbed Tubbo gently by the shoulder and pulled him forward a little, but Tubbo stayed where he was, causing Eret to release him before continuing forward. “Yours. Two Erets would probably scare him away again. away, and we need him here in order to pull him back.” 

Stirring the concoction carefully, Schlatt reaches into the pot and pulls a shimmering golden apple, purple running across its form, almost like static electricity. He takes a bite, then hands it to Eret, who takes one from the opposite side. Both grimace at the taste, but don’t spit any bit of it out, swallowing it carefully. Eret’s hands spark black, his eyes fading into darker and darker shades, and he tenses up, squaring off his shoulders. On the contrary, Schlatt seems to lighten, eyes becoming swallowed in a white void, a halo forming around his head. Bright wings unfold from behind him, an angel reincarnate. 

The two focus their attention onto _Thomas_ , which dims at their appearance. Tubbo shivers, hearing a voice that doesn’t exist whisper its disapproval. 

_Disgusting._

Closing his eyes, Eret reaches out and holds the flower tenderly, before a small channel of darkness begins to stream from him towards it. As it wraps around _Thomas_ , the flower begins to drain of its red colour and resume a normal appearance of a dandelion, before it falls limply to the side, as if dead. The red, however, stays in the same place, a ghost of a flower, almost like an echo through time. Schlatt prods the ghost gently, and it shimmers, before snapping from existence. 

Right over the cliff, something begins to form, a being that appears vaguely familiar to all parties. Walking closer slowly, giving the person time to form, Tubbo stares at them, trying to make out details. “Tommy?” He asks quietly, not heeding Eret’s warnings. 

At his words, the shape resolves into Tommy, but one different than how he remembered. Pitch-black eyes, hands like claws, something dark dripping from his hair. It laughs in a screech, the noise almost rebounding back and forth throughout an invisible cavern. Schlatt steps in front of him, wings flared out and keeping him away from the edge of the cliff. “Leave him alone, Charlie. You interfered in the call, it’s only expectant that he’d want his friend back.” 

The figure laughs, before dissolving away into goop that steamed as it hit the cliff side, eating away the soil and rock. Schlatt watches it go, anger written across his face. Eret is still focused on the shimmer, making sure he keeps contact with the flower to keep the line active. 

“Tommy? Are you there?” He calls into the void, and it vibrates in response. It flashes once, then disappears entirely from existence, the flower itself coming back to life, but remaining yellow. Tucking the flower carefully into his shirt pocket, he walks over to the others. “He’s not out there. I went through almost every scenario with the flower, and the only one that didn’t end in all of our deaths was hanging up. If he’s not in the afterlife or in-between, where is he?”

“A deity. Probably roaming the earth, with no clue of who he is. It’s been two years, that’s plenty of time for a corporal form.” Schlatt says grimly, wings folding behind him, then fading from existence. He turns back to Tubbo, eyes raking across his form. “He’s marked too. If he dies, he’ll go through the same process.”

Eret’s eyes lighten again, revealing confusion in them. “Marked? How so?”

“Only other deities can see the mark. It’s mostly genetic, passed down through the grandparents. It typically skips a generation, and your little brother seems to have had a very powerful one for a grandfather. Tubbo, did you know your parents?” 

Tubbo shakes his head, looking away. “Mum died after making her way up here with me when I was 5. She never talked about grandparents, so once I was alone, I pretended all the elders here were mine.” He pauses, trying to think back. “The only thing she ever said about her parents was something about them being an old family, with a lineage that stood the test of time, or something like that. Maybe something about finding really sparkly elements?”

Schlatt nods, thinking. “That knocks off a couple then. One’s a solid guess, and a few others could probably pass if they died when they were younger than they say. Maybe we can find them after this.” 

Eret kneels down and begins pushing aside a few stones, revealing a small bag nestled in the rocks. He opens it and pulls out a loaf of bread, tearing it in half. “Here,” he motions it towards Tubbo, “eat. You need some food in you. If you’re going to come with us, you’ll need your strength.” 

“Come with… are you leaving?” Tubbo asks, not taking the bread. “Where would you go?” 

“Away. Somewhere far away, where neither of us would have to be so close to this spot, to have to be forced to remember.” Eret mutters through the mouthful of food he was chewing. His glasses slip a little down his face, and he hastily adjusts them back. “Besides, there’s not a whole lot left to do. You’re at the end of your yellow shirt period, and the blue shirt period ended a week ago for me. You’ll transition to a blue shirt, and I can either stay or go. Come with us. We can find him.” The last two phrases are said in a pleading tone, desperation colouring his voice. 

Schlatt is by the fire, carefully tipping the cauldron towards a small bucket. It hisses as it pours into the bucket, the water sloshing about and spilling a little. The water shines golden yellow, and he winces, before carrying the bucket to the edge of the cliff and dumping the contents. 

“All the apples are stowed away in bundles, the supplies are good to go. If you’re ready to leave now, we’ll be in the clear.” Eret tosses over his shoulder, still staring at Tubbo. “Please come with us. Leaving you behind will hurt just as much as losing Tommy, and I don’t want to go through another heartbreak.” 

“I can’t,” he says quietly, glancing down at the piece of bread in his hand, still untouched, “I have to stay here and keep his memory alive. Leaving means I want to forget, that I’ll never be able to come back here.” Taking a small bite of the bread, Tubbo winces at the taste, sharp with not fully ground flour and cooked a little more than necessary. 

“Then I’m not leaving either,” Eret declares, the only change in his face being a slight twitch, from regret to decisive confusion. 

That catches Schlatt’s attention, and he spins around to look at Eret. “Are you fucking serious? We’ve been planning this for months, and you’re giving it up because he doesn’t want to leave? You were okay with leaving him before today, what changed?” 

Eret doesn’t meet his glare, instead keeping his head turned away and eyes hidden under his glasses. “That was before Tubbo knew. What’s to stop him from telling everyone what happened, and I get exiled in shame? Anyone who's ever been associated with me now has a mark on their name and a blow to their honor.”

Schlatt angrily stalks over to their seat and yanks Eret off the ground, holding him level to where his eyes bore into the reflective surface of his glasses. Ripping them off, he glares, eyes fully yellow again, reflecting his goat properties. “You’ve gone mad. I knew I shouldn’t have been giving you those apples.” Eret’s eyes are wide with panic, desperately trying to free himself from Schlatt’s iron grip. 

“You don’t want to go, fine. But either way,” Schlatt drags him towards the cliff’s edge, the rock and pebbles grinding under his hooves, “you’re leaving this mountain!” Moving to heave him off, Eret shoots one last look at Tubbo, who is frozen in panic, and mouths something to him. 

I’m sorry.

With that, he turns his focus back to Schlatt and merely grips his arm tight. Spirals of black begin to trace across his arm and it freezes, dropping him only a few feet from the edge. Eret’s eyes flash black for a half second, face contorting in pain. 

“How the hell are you still affected by the apple? I know for sure that the effects would only last long enough to make the call, and then a little after. How…” Schlatt’s face dropped as he realized this. “You can manipulate time? How the hell are you able to do that?” 

Eret coughed, body trembling. “Not sure, but ever since you first showed me these powers, there’s just been this voice in my head that won’t go away. It keeps telling me what I should do, when it would happen, everything so far.” 

If anything, Schlatt’s already pale face paled further. “You have the Timekeeper in your head?” 

“Timekeeper? They’ve never said their name before, but it’s not without-“ 

Eret doubles over again, hacking wildly. Black drips from his mouth and smokes as it hits the ground. Where the black touches down, plants rapidly wither and rocks explode in a clump of soil. 

“ _Get out of him!_ ”

Tubbo barrels directly past Schlatt and into Eret, whose limbs twist without his control and throws him back. 

“ ~~Try that again, and you’ll go over the cliff.~~ ” He hisses, black beginning to climb up his neck. 

Tubbo’s eyes are wild, irises a rainbow hue. “ _You don’t belong in him. He’s MY brother, not just something you can use to your own advantage._ ”

The Timekeeper smirks, Eret’s body manipulated like a puppet. “ ~~I can do whatever I want, little boy. You’re nothing compared to me.~~ ”

“ _You aren’t taking me from him again!_ ” Tubbo snarls, tense. “ _After last time, I’m not letting you win!_ ” 

The Timekeeper spread Eret’s arms wide, an open invitation for him to try. “I look forward to it,” he grins, teeth stained black. 

Schlatt stepped between the two of them, staring down Tubbo. “Calm down, Tubbo. This… thing… isn’t someone you want to mess with. I get you’re angry at him, but trust me: the Timekeeper is not like your fairytales.” 

“ _Stay out of this, murderer!_ ” 

“Well? You going to do anything?” The Timekeeper goads, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back. 

Tubbo rushes at him, ~~Eret~~ neatly pivoting out of the way, a grin on his face. “This is fun, I haven’t been able to get out and about in recent years.” He yawns as he dodges another rush made by Tubbo, laughing. “C’mon Tommy, I would’ve thought you’d be better at this.” 

After another pass by, Schlatt stops and grabs Tubbo, controlled by Tommy, by the arm. “You’re not going to be able to beat him. Especially not now. If he’s controlling your friend, then he has been from the very beginning.” 

Tommy shakes Tubbo’s head in defiance. “ _There’s no way. It would have been more evident over the years._ ” 

“The apples. Of course. Time powers are linked, you can’t just mess with time without any of the others to figure it out.” Schlatt glanced back at Eret, who shrugs lightly, a faint disc of time spinning in his palms. 

“You know, while this is all fun and dandy with you trying to figure out how to separate the two of us, it’s going to be a lot harder than you think.” The Timekeeper says, black still creeping up Eret’s arms. “You may as well accept that you aren’t getting your friend back.”

Schlatt glances to him, then back to Tommy. “You should get out of here.”

“ _I’m not leaving him!_ ” Tommy snaps. “ _It may be below you to understand what fucking loyalty is, but I actually care for some people._ ” 

“ ~~As entertaining as this is,~~ ” Tommy suddenly felt him behind the pair, “ ~~I thought we had business with the little one.~~ ” Spinning around, he receives a sharp punch to the gut and a sweep under his legs, before a sword presses against his throat. “ ~~If you really are going to leave, wouldn’t you like to say goodbye? This will be the last time you ever see him.~~ ” The Timekeeper grins, keeping the point just above the jugular. 

“ _Then let him go, bitch. It’s not that hard._ ” 

The black crept from his face and receded, pulsing to Eret’s heartbeat, but not overpowering. He gasped, unable to move from the stance he stood in, the sword still solidly held. “Tub...Tubbo? What’s happening?” Looking over to Schlatt, he didn’t receive an answer, confusing him more. 

“Tommy. I’m going to need you to cooperate. I know you hate me, but just follow my lead.” Schlatt says blankly, eyes hidden by his horns. 

In half a second, Schlatt is by their sides and wrenches the sword from his grasp, before plunging it into Tubbo’s side. Both parties scream in shock, but when the sword is removed, only a faint scar marks the entry spot. It hurts still, a hand clamped over the spot. 

Schlatt examines the sword. “Enchanted. Old. You’ve been here before.” 

Eret’s head whips back and forth between the two of them, as if the two were using some kind of sick inside joke. “Schlatt? What are you doing?” 

“Something that I may regret, but it is the only thing that I can see working.”

With that, he grabs Tommy and Tubbo by their arm, and then tosses them off the edge. 

They flail for the edge, grabbing the very tip, a loose rock type. Looking up in panic, they see Schlatt standing over them, a hoof posed to strike them off, but severe confusion in his eyes. “I thought I said follow my lead,” he mumbles, not enough to let Eret know. 

They nod, shifting to look towards Eret. The sun sets behind the ~~three~~ four of them, light spilling into their eyes. It reflects back as white in Eret’s eyes, driving the black from the depths of them. Pleas fall from his lips in desperation, body still frozen in time. 

“We’re sorry.”

They let go, Eret screaming in agony. A quarter of the way down, a massive explosion rocked the world above them. A black dome seemed to form from the top, sucking the entire top of the mountain up, still growing as they fall. Tommy reaches out with their hand and summons forth bees, ones hiding in the forests and various cracks. 

The bees cushion their fall, slowing them down enough to see the dome getting closer and closer. Tubbo begins to fret at the bees, who in turn begin to rile up, buzzing louder and louder and moving faster. As they fall, his hand catches a rock and smashes a bee while still flailing about. At this, the rest of the bees grow angry and swarm on him. 

His fall only quickens, bees stinging him over and over. His vision began to grow spotty, bees crawling across his skin and massive pain where they stung him. 

“ _I’m sorry, best friend. This shouldn’t have happened._ ”

He feels their link start to slip, the connection they have disintegrating. Grabbing the thread, he feels Tommy pause in surprise. 

“Stay? One last moment together?”

“ _I should have expected your clinginess to come back at the worst possible time._ ”

Right before the two of them hit the ground, they feel a presence enter their head. 

_Have you guys ever considered, you know, not falling off of cliffs?_

_Phil?_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there we go, the ending of the origins of this Moobloom AU. Thank you all for the sweet comments and the many kudos you guys left, it was great to see such positive responses to my writing.
> 
> In a week or so, I'm hoping to have the first chapter for a big story over this AU, with more of the Minecraft YouTube community being brought in, all to tie to the original Piss Cow. 
> 
> I can answer some questions about the AU and its future, some about the fic, or just in general with this whole concept! Thanks for reading!

**Author's Note:**

> So this will be a two part, with Tubbo coming tomorrow or sometime later. I have tons of plans for this AU, and I really hope you guys will like this.


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